We Pause To Begin
by dodger
Summary: After the King's ship is attacked and lost, Gwendal finds himself ship-wrecked on an unknown island with Günter.  As they help each other survive on the island, Gwendal tries to find a way to handle his suddenly known feelings towards his fellow castaway.
1. Chapter 1

**Author: **** dodger**

**Rating: **PG - M

**Pairing:**Gwendal x Günter mainly, but there are other pairings in the background (Yozak x Conrart, Yuuri x Wolfram, etc.)

**Genre: **Survival, fluff, angst, romance

**Summary: **After the King's ship is attacked and lost, Gwendal finds himself ship-wrecked on an unknown island with Günter. As they help each other survive on the island, Gwendal tries to find a way to handle his suddenly known feelings towards his colleague and fellow castaway.

**Notes:**Thanks again to the amazingly awesome **puck_the_elf **for being my beta, and reassuring me when I am being silly :)

* * *

><p>"<em>When you get married, I'll be your flower-girl!" Greta proclaimed; her head bobbed just out of his peripheral vision from where she was playing on the floor.<em>

_Gwendal looked up from the document he had been reading over at his "niece", perplexed at her statement. "I am not getting married anytime soon..." He stared harder at the document...it made absolutely no sense. The words were garbled, jumbled across the page in some sort of foreign language._

_"But when you do, I'll be your flower-girl, okay?" the little girl said as she rounded the desk to stare at him. "Daddy and Wolfram-papa are taking too long. By the time they get married, I'll be their bridesmaid or maid of honor..."_

_"...Or already married..." he groused, ignoring the little girl's simple chatter._

_Greta laughed, and then, "So you or Uncle Conrart better get married soon..." There were more words, but suddenly there was a roar and ringing in his ears._

_He looked up at her smiling face. "What did you-", but the crashing noise was drowning Greta's words out, not that she seemed to notice. Her sweet face continued smiling and chattering at him, and now the sunlight from the window she was standing in front of was becoming too bright..._

_The smell of ocean and surf filled his nostrils..._

He knew his face had been burned by the sun before he opened his eyes. Then he grimaced at the uncomfortable feeling of a sun burn but regretted even that involuntary movement as it caused pain to his overexposed skin.

He was alive then. His body was too sore and pained for it to have been imagined.

Eyes still closed, Gwendal shifted his body and eased himself onto his hands and knees. So far, so good; with the exception of being incredibly sore, nothing so far seemed to be broken. He could feel that his hair was plastered to his face; stiff and uncomfortable, just like his uniform which was pressed to his body, the material scratchy and saturated with sand and salt.

At last he opened his eyes. A white beach lay around him, its sand extending from the ocean and stretching a good distance behind him to end in a lush jungle.

As his eyes adjusted to the bright reflection of the sun, he saw the tale-tell signs of wreckage from the ship.

The memories came flooding back to him. He had accompanied His Majesty, Conrart, Wolfram, and Günter on a ship to visit Lord Heathcliff when they had been attacked by a Cimaron fleet. Overwhelmed by the number of soldiers that had been sent for the king's capture, Gwendal and Günter had done their best to support the few Shin Makoku guards that had been left standing during the assault while Conrart and Wolfram secured Yuuri's safety.

However, the young king had lost control of his powers- a major set back considering that Yuuri had been doing so well at controlling The Maou's deadly and often erratic power. In the ensuing lecture (and chaos) that had followed, the carved and burning symbol of "Justice" had caused the boat to become unstable.

Conrart and Wolfram had grabbed Yuuri's unconscious form, carrying it to where Yozak had been waiting with a life boat while he and Günter had acted as cover against the few foolish soldiers who had continued their fight against the Demon King.

That was when it had happened. Gwendal shuddered at the memory of the awful sound the ship had made as it split directly from prow to stern. The last thing he remembered was seeing the equally shocked expression on the soldier he had engaged in combat as they both plummeted into the angry tempest that had been caused by his sovereign.

And now, he thought, by some miracle he was still alive. Wrecked on Shinou-knows-where, but alive.

Gwendal got to his feet, testing to see that his body was in order. His legs felt wobbly, and whether it was from being on the boat and tossed about in the sea or possibly from being dehydrated, he wasn't sure, but at least his legs could carry him into the shade of the jungle without pain.

He removed his sodden uniform jacket and shirt. His clothing was in surprisingly good condition, although they smelled (and probably so did he) like fish left too long in the sun. Gwendal knew that he should keep his clothing on as much as possible to prevent his skin from being too exposed to the elements, but the uniform was heavy upon him, and the heat from the sun was making him uncomfortably hot.

Perhaps when he found water he could spare a bit of it to rinse out his clothing and remove the salt and sand that was crusted within the fibers.

Water...

Gwendal unconsciously swallowed and grimaced again. His mouth was so dry, and his throat felt so parched now that the gravity of his situation began to set in.

He was a soldier. He had been trained to survive in the elements, but still, his situation hinged upon what this island could supply him. If there was no source of clean drinking water, he was doomed.

"Keep calm. You know how to survive. You are the General of Shin Makoku, the Advisor to the King, and the Lord of Voltaire," he said aloud. "You will survive this. You have to, or else the Kingdom will be weakened...and your castle overrun and ruined by Anissina."

He had to survive. There was no other option for him. He had to get off this island and get home some how.

But before he could even think of getting off this supposed island, he needed to assess the situation, see what tools were available to him.

With renewed determination, he raised his hand and focused his will to manipulate the element he had made a pact with many years ago. After a few stubborn moments the pieces of the earth shot up into his hand.

Good, he thought. This was very good. He was still in the demon kingdom. His earth magic would prove useful in creating a shelter or perhaps a pit to house a fire or trap game so he wouldn't exert himself digging...providing that he found a means to sustain himself nutritionally first.

He took note of his surroundings. The beach in front of him terminated into a now passive sea. To his left and his right it seemed to stretch for miles, spattered occasionally with what he assumed was more of the ship's wreckage.

Behind him was the jungle...or was it a forest? It had to be the oddest jungle Gwendal had ever encountered...not that he had much experience with jungles in the first place, but he was certain that the trees he was currently sitting under would be more accustomed to the forests of home than the lush sprawling plants that lay beyond where he sat.

Home. For the first time since he had wakened, he thought of his family and companion's fates.

_I hope the others made it to the boats alright..._But then he wondered that if he had been washed ashore, perhaps others too shared his current situation. Perhaps they had already made camp or found supplies.

Although his head pounded miserably, and his legs protested having to carry his large frame, Gwendal rose to his feet again and began to walk towards the nearest piles of wreckage.

When he did not find anyone in his immediate area (although he found lengths of rope and pulled the good pieces of wood out of the way of the tide to be dried for fire wood), he began to walk east of the area he had awakened in.

After an hour, he came across a large crate that was in surprisingly good condition. He inspected it, hoping that perchance the contents were something useful and had not been ruined by the ocean water. However, the crate was nailed thoroughly shut, and he suspected that it was possibly lined with pitch and other materials to prevent water or pests from getting inside.

He first thought that he could conjure the earth to form a large mass so that he could smash the crate open, but his attempt was thwarted when a wave of nausea assailed him. He was becoming too weak to use his powers so frivolously. He would have to conserve his energy. So he left the crate, using it as a landmark in case he had to make his way back.

He forced his body to keep moving no matter how much his stomach growled or his head and throat ached from dehydration. After an undetermined amount of time, he noticed that the beach was on an incline, and soon after that the sand began to thin, and rock could be seen beneath his feet. Gwendal stumbled up the craggy scree to see that he was now on the top of a cliff that over looked and surrounded a small cove.

There was a large wreckage on the beach -parts of what he recognized to be ship's aftcastle tangled in what appeared to be a sail- but it did not seem like there was anything worth attempting a climb down to the cove's beach in his current state for, until he saw something thin and gleaming stuck in the sand. He squinted at the winking light, wondering what on earth it could possibly be...and then he realised:

A sword.

He had to have it. It was too useful of a tool to pass up, even though he felt that he was about to pass out.

But how was he to get down there? There was no way he could climb down in his state, and there didn't seem to be any path that led down to the beach. The only way he could think of was to use his maryouku to either move the rock about to form a path or push the earth from underneath him downwards, riding the earth beneath his feet like a platform until it merged with the sand below...which would require a lot of his already dwindling energy.

But the need to have the sword was almost as maddening as his need for water, food, and rest. He had not come across the former two yet though, and the sword was the first real bit of luck he had received all day. With it, he could go into the jungle/forest more confident that he could fend off any threat and forge his way through the dense foliage.

Despite his weakened state, Gwendal was willing to gamble his survival on acquiring that sword. He stood up, fully erect in his posture and forced his whole being into channeling his limited reserves of power to manipulate the rock beneath his feet to move downwards as if in a shaft to the beach below.

The going was tough, slower than it probably would have been had he been at his full strength, and at times he felt like his body was going to be ripped apart from duress of forcing his magic. When he finally met the beach below, he collapsed, almost entirely spent.

Gwendal forced himself to his knees and painfully began to crawl to where the sword was embedded in the sand.

The wreckage was larger than he realised, as he crawled past. It was a mangled mess of piled wood, cables, and other debris, wrapped in a cocoon of sail. How it managed to wash up in the cove and not sink was a wonder.

The sword, Gwendal found, was sharp despite having been loosed from its sheath and miraculously in good condition. Upon further inspection he realised that he knew this particular sword. He was a fool to have not noticed it before. How many times had he seen this sword drawn to instruct its master's pupils or drawn on rare occasion beside Gwendal's own to even the odds that were against them?

"This is Günter's..." he breathed, then winced. Wonderful. He had probably done internal damage to his body due to forcing his magic.

He stared at the sword, wondering about its owner. Was the beautiful demon also here on this island? Or had he escaped the ship with his "beloved majesty"? Gwendal stopped himself from considering the more terrible (and sadly the most realistic) option, the one that he had been forcing from his thoughts since the moment he had begun his journey -that his brothers, king, and comrades had not survived.

Not that he was doing much better where personal survival was concerned. He grimaced as he allowed himself to lie down on the soft sand and give his body a well deserved rest. He had the sword...but now what? He was too weak to get up the side of the cliff. His body would definitely give out this time.

A cool breeze brushed across his forehead. Gwendal twitched, noting that it was not coming from the direction of the water. He was about to dismiss it as a errant cross-wind, but the wind was coming consistently from the left of him...which was impossible considering that there was a cliff face in that direction. Unless...

He turned and saw an opening that was half concealed by the rocks that he had moved. A cave...

His body moved on its own accord towards it. It was funny, he thought, how much he was willing to gamble with his survival when usually he never moved without weighing all his options. But, he supposed, he had already hit bottom, and if his body was still able to move, he would not be so picky on any avenues that now presented themselves to him.

When he had reached the mouth of the cave, he listened to see if there was any life inside. He hoped that there wasn't anything too dangerous in there as he doubted he could even lift the sword to defend himself. But he was rewarded with something else, the faint trickling sound that could only be water.

Gwendal could feel himself perk up at this, despite that his body was shaking now from duress. _Just a little longer, please,_he begged his exhausted body as he stumbled his way into the narrow, wet confines of the small cavern.

It was cool inside, and Gwendal was thankful to finally be out of the sun. The cavern, despite being dark, seemed to welcome him as it finally became wider and more comfortable for him to maneuver without brushing his burned back against the jutting rock wall.

He followed the sound, reliant upon his ears and sense of touch as the sunlight from the mouth of the cave was extinguished the further he moved in. He could feel that the ground beneath his feet become softer, and it soon transitioned into soft earth. After a few more minutes, his feet found water with a loud splash.

Gwendal backed up then and knelt in the darkness close to the water he had discovered. He scooped some of the liquid into his shaking hands and sniffed at it. It smelled sweet, not salty, and he noted that when he had placed his hands in the water there had been a slight current.

He took an experimental sip and was rewarded with a refreshing drink. And then another and another until he found himself almost waist deep in the cold water.

_This is an underground stream,_ he thought as he continued to drink. _It makes sense...the jungle and plants on this island seemed lush and healthy. There must be a source elsewhere._

The effects on his body were almost instantaneous. His headache was beginning to recede, and the dizziness he had been experiencing had ebbed now that he was out of the sun. He continued to drink beyond replenishing his dehydrated body to fill his empty stomach. It wouldn't keep him full for long, but it would be enough to last him until he found food.

After he had drunk his fill, Gwendal waded out of the water and sat on the narrow bank, content to rest in the cool darkness for a while. Sleep came easy to him, due to his exhausted state, but it was only for so long that he was able stand being in the drafty cave without something to keep him warm or protect his burned shoulders when his skin brushed against the craggy wall whenever he shifted in his sleep.

It was time to make a camp anyway. Tomorrow he would forage for food, explore the island further and if it came down to it, create a shelter to be used (although he hoped not) for a longer term.

Using the rock wall to guide him back to the front of the cave,Gwendal was glad to find that he had left the cave at a good time, as when he found the cave's opening, the sun was beginning to set, and he noticed that high tide had come in, stopping a few feet from the edge of the wreckage.

The wreckage was now bobbing, rocking gently with the ebb and flow of the waves.

He readjusted Günter's sword where he had slid it between his belt and uniform then stepped out from the cave's mouth to asses if the incoming tide was a threat to his water source and if he needed to get to higher ground before nightfall. Ideally, staying in the cove would be safe as he did not have to worry about potential predators from the jungle venturing down here. But if the cove flooded entirely, he would either drown or be swept out to sea.

Considering that the water in the cave had been uncontaminated by seawater, perhaps the ocean water did not wash up this far or was carried away somewhere by the underground stream.

He shivered suddenly. It was becoming colder now that the sun was setting, Gwendal frowned. He really would have to go back to where he had woken up, as the ground and the wood from the wreckage were too wet for making a fire. Hopefully, the wood he had found earlier had dried enough that it could used.

Too bad Wolfram was not here with him. His brother's ability with fire would be immensely useful now, he thought as he waded through the incoming water to the rocks he had shifted earlier, intent on using them as a means to hitch a ride back up the cliff side as well as restoring them to their original formation.

Gwendal had always been considerate of the environments he shifted when he used his magic. It was too easy to create more long-term damage with his ability, so he always attempted to put things back in their proper place. Just because he was currently stranded on an island, he was not about to let that personal practice fall by the wayside.

It was then that he heard a noise.

Gwendal turned, looking around for the source, but he heard only the sound of the ocean lapping at the beach.

He crouched, ready to use his power, when the noise happened again. It was longer this time, but wavering... and definitely made by another person.

He wandered up to the only possible source: the wreckage.

As if it sensed his presence, the noise grew more discernible as a pained moan as Gwendal peered through an opening in the jumble of debris.

"Hello?" he called, looking for the source in the dying daylight. "Whoever you are, can you speak?"

"Gwendal?" The voice was faint and unsure, but Gwendal knew the trembling voice even though he could not locate his colleague amidst the wreckage.

It was Günter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author: **** dodger**

**Rating: **PG - M

**Pairing:**Gwendal x Günter mainly, but there are other pairings in the background (Yozak x Conrart, Yuuri x Wolfram, etc.)

**Genre: **Survival, fluff, angst, romance

**Summary: **After the King's ship is attacked and lost, Gwendal finds himself ship-wrecked on an unknown island with Günter. As they help each other survive on the island, Gwendal tries to find a way to handle his suddenly known feelings towards his colleague and fellow castaway.

**Notes:**Thanks again to the amazingly awesome **puck_the_elf **for being my beta, and reassuring me when I am being silly :)

* * *

><p>Freeing Günter from the cocoon of wreckage took Gwendal longer than he expected, as he was impeded by the dying daylight and the fact that he had to go slowly as to not fully collapse the unstable structure on top of his comrade.<p>

Occasionally, Günter would call out to him, letting him know that he was still there, but even in those short moments, Gwendal could hear how weak Günter had become.

Finally, Gwendal had found him, tangled just below the center of the wreckage, wrapped and trapped in the cables and sail, and cradled by the jagged wooden remains of the aftcastle. The other demon's clothing, while in relatively good condition, had been pulled haphazardly along his body, exposing pale skin and giving him a rather disheveled appearance. His long, usually flawless hair was tangled about him and in the debris in such a way that Gwendal thought it a miracle that Günter had not drowned due to his hair getting entangled in something.

In the last moments of waning light he could see that Günter had sustained injuries, which made Gwendal realise how lucky he had been in comparison. The lavender-haired demon had visible bruises, and there was a dried cut across his forehead that ran from the hair line down the left side of his face. The left eye seemed swollen shut as Günter looked at him with only his dazed right.

"Can you sit up?" Gwendal gently asked his injured companion. Günter shook his head weakly in response.

"I am going to lift you then. Is there anything you are feeling that would indicate that I should not?"

"No...just please mind my right leg...I think something is broken," Günter croaked.

Gwendal nodded and gingerly stooped to scoop the other demon up into his arms. However, when he had managed to pull Günter up slightly, Gwendal noticed that Günter's tangled hair further bound its person to the wreckage-prison.

Gwendal drew the sword. "This is necessary," was all he offered before he used it to carefully cut away the stubborn tresses. It was still long, but not as neat and even as Günter would have liked. He had a feeling once Günter was back to full strength, his companion would mind having his hair being so uneven, but for now Günter said nothing. He was docile and compliant which was a stark contrast to his usual flappable manner, and Gwendal did not want to admit that seeing Günter this way was a bit unnerving.

He collected Günter once more into his arms, being careful to support Günter's neck while not jostling the other's hurts, and began to move away from the wreckage. Perhaps if they managed to return to the clifftop Gwendal could still manage to make a fire before night completely fell.

"W-wait..." Günter said suddenly, causing Gwendal to think that he had somehow exacerbated Günter's injuries, but then Günter continued in a measured tone. "My bag. It's here. It has supplies."

"It can wait until tomorrow."

Günter licked his dried lips. "It may not be here tomorrow."

Gwendal swore silently at Günter's logic, knowing that the other was right. "What sort of supplies?"

"Medical, for the most part."

Damn it. They could not afford to leave the bag behind. "Are you sure it is here?"

Günter nodded. "It shouldn't be hard to find in the mess. I had it before the wreckage collapsed on me."

Gwendal nodded, carried Günter away from the break of the tide, and carefully placed his companion so that the other was sitting up slightly against the rock. "Does it hurt to sit like this?"

"No...no...just a little sore," Günter said with a tired sigh and then uncomfortably swallowed. The look of misery reminded Gwendal of his own a few hours ago, and that had been in the warmest point of the day. How long had Günter been trapped like that, helpless? At least Günter had been shielded from the sun as his fair skin did not seem to have been burned as badly as Gwendal's.

"I found water. If you can bear a few more moments, I'll carry you there."

At Günter's nod Gwendal broke into a run back to the pile. He hoped for the time spent looking for the bag that it was truly here. He had not come across it when he had initially searched for Günter, but it was possible it had been beneath where Günter had been lying.

Overhead, Gwendal could see the first few stars of the evening. The sky to the west was still pink, but he realised it would soon be completely set.

He scrambled around in the wreckage, eyes scanning the remnants and relying mostly on touch to find Günter's bag. Finally his hands found soft leather. It was darkened from the water, but it was whole and definitely Günter's bag.

With the wet bag slung against his sunburned back and Günter's sword once again returned to his belt, Gwendal moved at a fast pace to where Günter sat. His stomach was protesting once more, and Gwendal cursed that all the water he drank had failed to sustain him longer than he had hoped.

Günter made a half-hearted attempt to smile at him when he returned, fatigue and dehydration evident in Günter's battered face.

Gwendal once more lifted his injured companion into his arms. This time he noted that the attempt was more taxing on him as the adrenalin he had been relying upon had begun to wane. He stumbled up the dunes and back towards the cave. There was no point now in trying to go back up. Günter was in desperate need of water, and Gwendal himself needed to fill his stomach once more to keep the pangs of hunger at bay.

They would rest in the cave tonight, and if the sea water threatened them, he would use his maryoku to block the mouth of the cave. As long as they were near water, they were safe for now. Tomorrow, they could assess Günter's injuries and find a better place to camp.

He dropped the bag as soon as they entered the cave, and Günter squirmed slightly in his hold as he looked about to understand where they were heading. "Where?"

"I found water here. We will stay tonight, as neither of us have the energy to use our maryoku or forage for kindling in the dark."

"We are still inside the demon lands?" Gunter remarked with surprise. "Thank goodness...I didn't realise I could use my magic...I've felt so sick since I woke that I thought we were in the human lands or there were houseki stones nearby."

Gwendal readjusted his own shaking grip on Gunter's form. "Once you have something to drink you will feel better. I have not managed to find food yet, but the water should sustain us."

He felt Günter's nod of approval against his chest as he proceeded into the darkness. Typically staying in a dark cave, especially one Gwendal had been unable to see if there was a back to or if it lead further on into a creature's den, was not ideal, but it was a roof over their heads with the bonus that it contained a clean drinking source. Adding that the cave was not too damp, it would do for the night.

They would have to rely on body heat, though, to keep warm, but Gwendal knew Günter would not mind as much as His Majesty had when the pair of them had been stranded in the desert at night. So he settled Günter upon the sandy bank and helped the older demon bring cupped handfuls of water to his parched lips before Gwendal went to sate his own hunger with more water.

The silence was almost eerie in the darkness, punctuated by the sounds of them scooping the water to drink and the distant sounds of the ocean beyond the mouth of their "camp".

"I can feel my toes," Günter remarked softly, breaking the solemness of the darkness. "Perhaps it is only a sprain..."

Gwendal made a non-committal noise at the statement, glad to hear that Günter's voice was gaining strength and its usual optimistic lit. "Are you finished?"

"For now." He felt Günter shift besides him. "Will we go back to the front?"

Reaching blindly for his companion, Gwendal stood up. "Do you think you can put your weight on your foot?"

Out of sheer luck, Günter found his offered hands with minimal fumbling (though he did grip one of Gwendal's burns a little _too_hard), and Gwendal helped him to stand. He could feel Günter's body practically quaking from the duress. Perhaps it was too soon for Günter to be exerting himself, but after a few unsteady moments Günter stood and then yelped in pain. "No, no...Oh, there is something wrong with it..."

Gwendal caught Günter up into his arms before the other completely folded back onto the cave's floor. "It probably is a sprain then," Gwendal stated as he moved them back towards the cave's entrance. "I know it's probably not comfortable, but we shouldn't take your boot off. For the moment it is acting as a splint."

Günter nodded. "It doesn't hurt that badly when the weight is off of it...I think that was what helped me, even though the position was uncomfortable. The way I was situated in the wreckage, my leg was elevated. It wasn't until you moved the wood that it was resting on that I realised how bad the injury was."

Ultimately, Gwendal found that they could have done without using Günter's bag as a place-marker. The moon was bright enough above them that they could have found their way out of the cave.

Gwendal propped Günter against the wall, then touched the ground so that it rose high enough for Günter's leg to be elevated properly.

"Thank you, Gwendal," Günter said as he gingerly placed his hurt leg upon the support. "I hope that once my leg is properly dealt with, and I am at full strength I'll be less of a burden." It was said was a hint of a smile in his voice. Good, Gwendal thought. It was relieving to hear that Günter was returning to his usual self.

He pulled Günter's sword from his belt and handed it to its owner. "Thank you, for managing to keep your sword. If I had not seen it, we both most likely would not be alive."

Gwendal noted the somber expression that flickered across Günter's thin face. "We are the only ones here."

Gwendal sank bonelessly down against his companion, waves of exhaustion creeping over him. "That is what it seems for now. I did not get to explore the entire island yet." He leaned up against the wall and then cringed. Damn it. He kept forgetting about his back.

"Here." Günter was now unfastening the clasps of his uniform's cloak and pulling it off. "Put this around your shoulders; you are very burned."

At first Gwendal was going to refuse Günter's offer for reasons that Günter should keep himself as covered as possible, but the older demon was already pushing the long piece of fabric insistently upon him.

"Where in Shinou's name is your shirt anyway? Did you lose it when you fell overboard?" Günter asked as he helped drape the material across Gwendal's shoulders.

"Hanging on a tree...about two hour's walk west."

He could almost see the frown in Günter's voice. "You know that you should keep your skin as unexposed as possible," he tutted.

"I was hot. I was not wrapped up in a cocoon, shielded from the sun, as you were. How did that happen anyway?"

Günter gave a long sigh as he settled against the wall, leaning up against Gwendal's shoulder. "Do you remember much of what happened after the boat began to sink?"

"Just that I was fighting while the ship was breaking apart, and then falling into the ocean."

Günter nodded. "I was running to cover you. You were about to be attacked from behind, but then, as you said, the floor broke apart, and we plummeted into the water." The advisor paused for a moment as if sorting his thoughts. "When I finally managed to break the surface of the water, there was falling debris. The ship was on fire then, and I could see people either jumping over board or clinging to the few lifeboats that had managed to get underway. I attempted to swim for one, but then I saw you clinging to a floating piece of the ship. I tried calling to you, but I think you were unconscious."

Gwendal shook his head. "I must have been. I do not recall any of this."

Günter hummed a bit as he snuggled closer to Gwendal. "So I swam over to you, or at least I tried to. It was fortunate though, I mean, fortunate for me..." he trailed off for a moment, most likely reliving a terrible memory. "The side of the boat I would have been on had I continued for the life boat broke apart, and its burning mast fell."

Gwendal nodded. He understood what Günter was trying to convey. The people on the life boat had been struck and most likely killed.

"Do you know who was on the boat?"

Günter shook his head. "No. No, I do not. But I cannot help but worry if it was His Majesty's life boat. Conrad, Yozak, and Wolfram were with him. I saw them underway before we fell."

"Let's hope that they escaped."

Günter nodded. "By that time, you had drifted further away. I tried to follow as to not lose sight of you, but I am not the strongest swimmer compared to you or the others even under normal circumstances, and getting tossed about in the ocean, I could barely keep my own head up. I was tiring and, in my panic, becoming disoriented. So I used my maryoku to gather the debris about me, hoping that I could find something large enough to float on."

He paused a moment to let out a tired yawn. "I don't know what happened then...perhaps I lost control of my element, but the next thing I knew, it was morning, and I was tangled on top of that wreckage."

Before Gwendal could ask how Günter had manged to get tangled _inside_of the wreckage, Günter answered. "I underestimated the stability of my structure. I managed to free my sword from its sheath, and while I was twisting around to free myself, the wreckage collapsed beneath me." He then added thoughtfully, "I suppose that's how I came to lose my sword and injure my foot, but I do not know really…I fell unconscious again. I did not wake until I felt the structure bobbing in the tide."

Gwendal sighed. "And here we are." His eyes were growing heavy, and the comforting warmth that Günter's body offered was lulling him to sleep.

He felt Günter settle closer to his frame and heard him yawn again. "Yes. Here we are."


	3. Chapter 3A

**Rating: **PG - M

**Pairing:**Gwendal x Günter mainly, but there are other pairings in the background (Yozak x Conrart, Yuuri x Wolfram, etc.)

**Genre: **Survival, fluff, angst, romance

**Summary: **After the King's ship is attacked and lost, Gwendal finds himself ship-wrecked on an unknown island with Günter. As they help each other survive on the island, Gwendal tries to find a way to handle his suddenly known feelings towards his colleague and fellow castaway.

**Notes:** First off I would like to say a huuuuge thank you to the amazingly awesome puck_the_elffor beta'ing this story for me! Second I would like to apologize for getting this fic out a little late, October was an insane month, but now that it is November, life has calmed down (yay!). Chapter 3 was being a huge grumblebum about being written, and then when it did decide that it wanted to be written it wouldn't shut up and it became long. So I decided to cut it into two parts :) Part 2 should be along soon! Thanks again for reading and your comments!

We Pause To Begin Chapter 3A

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><p>The need to relieve himself woke Gwendal up earlier than he expected. Seeing that the early rays of dawn were slowly creeping their way into the cave, he was pleased to find that they had made it through the night, as well they could be up early enough to forage for shelter and food before the day became too hot.<p>

He shifted himself carefully as to not rouse Günter yet. Gwendal felt he should let his companion rest a bit longer seeing as Günter had exhausted himself from duress and his injuries. With a gentle flick of Günter's cloak, Gwendal covered the sleeping demon and left the cave.

As the sun lazily crept over the ocean's horizon, Gwendal took the time to wander about the cove to see if there were any other secrets it held or if it actually had a means to traverse the cliff-face without the use of his maryoku. He found that there was indeed a path (though it did not go UP the cliff) that had been covered by the tides yesterday, and it lead further out and around the side of the opposite cliff wall.

The path did not take him too far actually, though he could see another side to the island, but this side did not end in a cove or beach, rather waters smashed upon the rocky side of the island. He did, however, find that at the end of the path, just as it became too narrow to scale along the wall (his back hated him for it), he rounded the bend to its absolute point where it widened into a fairly large and full grouping of tidal pools.

Having not grown up near a sea, sealife in general was novel to him. He had, when he was younger, enjoyed a few excursions with his parents and tutors to the seaside. However, due to Wolfram's susceptibility to seasickness, the wars, and the other stresses of running his lands and kingdom, Gwendal had not in recent memory indulged in this curiosity.

The pool was teeming with life: sea weeds, anemone, and a few small fish, but most importantly, crabs and urchin.

Gwendal's stomach made its presence known right then - even though he had no idea how he would be able to cook or eat them. All that was important to him was the fact that he had found something edible.

With less care than he would admit, Gwendal stumbled back up the path and to the cave. His entry woke Günter, who blinked at him blearily. It was evident the other was disoriented as to where he actually was and was probably wondering for what purpose a shirtless Gwendal had suddenly burst into his bedroom.

"I need your bag," Gwendal offered in explanation as he reached over Günter's propped form for the now dried leather bag and carefully emptied its contents by a waking Günter's side.

He raced out of the cave and made for the path, this time taking more care to draw quietly near the pool. As he came upon the pool once more, he noticed that the life inside seemed oblivious to his presence. Perhaps they had never encountered humans or demons before, but it still unnerved him that the ocean life did not hide as soon as his shadow cast upon the surface of the pool.

He stood there at the mouth of the pool, the seawater lapping at and drenching his calves while he contemplated his plan of attack. It had taken too long for it to dawn on him that he did not know what exactly to do, considering that he had never eaten any of this fare before in his life.

Seafood was generally limited unless it could be procured fresh, but crustaceans in particular, were off limits to the royal family. Besides the worry that shellfish could carry significant food-born illness, its meat could easily conceal any potential assassination plots via poisoning. So much was this fear that the Maous and their families were banned from partaking in this sort of food.

However, he did know of nobles who did partake in this fare, considering that their lands boardered the seas and fresh lakes. Kleist was one of those territories, so perhaps Günter would know what to do with the crabs, providing that his family, being of the upper-tiers of Kleist nobility did not follow the same precautions that the royal family did.

Of course, all of this hinged on whether or not he could catch anything. He decided for now to leave the urchins alone and focus his efforts on the crabs. Tide was low to the pools, so there didn't seem to be any place for the crabs to make a quick escape.

Seeing a decent sized crab that had its back to him, Gwendal plunged both his hands into the pool and grabbed the instantly flailing creature. The life in the pool swirled then, as the creatures that were able now made an attempt to flee.

Gwendal quickly shoved the crab (being mindful to keep its snapping claws away from him) into Günter's pack and pulled the interior drawstring shut. He managed to catch four more (but ended up with a total of four, as the first crab managed to escape when Gwendal had re-opened the bag to place its fellows with it) before the rest burrowed out of reach or scuttled over the opposite side of the pool and into the waves.

Happy that he was able to provide possible sustinence, Gwendal did not mind that he now had a few decent cuts on his hands accrued from his scuffle with his meal.

He found Günter limping a few feet outside of the cave, his lavender hair flowing in jagged clumps in the morning breeze. The older demon's face showed discomfort, but at least he was now able to put weight on his foot.

Günter gave him a curious glance and pointed to his bag, which was now wriggling animatedly off of Gwendal's hip.

"I think I found breakfast," Gwendal announced and opened the bag for Günter's inspection.

Günter face lit up when he saw the writhing crabs, but then he gave Gwendal a cautionary look. "Have you ever eaten these, Gwendal?"

"No, I haven't..."

"What if you're allergic?"

Gwendal frowned. "It's a risk I am willing to take."

"It's too much of a risk. Neither of us are that adept at healing. If you have an allergy or another reaction to the meat, it could be deadly." Then he added a little less dramatically, "Please? We'll find something else."

Gwendal felt his temper begin to rise. He knew that it was from the stress of the situation and his hunger, and it wasn't fair to take it out on Günter's valid concerns, but he could not help the want to be stubborn. "I'll be-"

"You don't think your best when you're angry. You know this," Günter said more sternly. "And I know you're angry. Your eye has done that twitch at least three, now four times since we've started this conversation."

Günter's expression was one that was hardened, the one that was usually left to his military instruction, the one that Gwendal had seen too rarely since Yuuri's arrival as king. Gwendal never backed down from a confrontation, but he knew that expression of Günter's was one that was not meant to be trifled with. But neither was he.

"Thank you for your concern, Günter, but I am sure that I will be fine. Now do you know how to-"

"Cook and eat them?" Günter gave the crabs another look. "I do, but I am not done here. If you and I are going to survive on this island, we need to be careful. We cannot afford to be frivilous just because our bellies are aching. You, of all people, being a trianed soldier should know this."

"I didn't ask for you to dress me down, Günter," Gwendal snapped.

"Then don't act like a child, and use your head." The older demon's eyes were cool, yet filled with concern. It made Gwendal's temper almost boil over. They stood there regarding each other, and the longer they stared, the more aggravatingly clear it became that Günter was still right.

Gwendal sighed. "Please do not think I was being flippant. It is just that..what if we do not find anything else to eat?"

"Then we'll resort to these," Günter said, pointing to the bag. "I can show you how to catch more," he took Gwendal's hand in his own, indicating the cuts, "in a less hazardous way, but for now, let them go. You shouldn't keep them too long without water anyway if we aren't going to eat them immediately."

As he watched his early morning catch scuttle back towards the ocean, Gwendal tried to keep his anger and his tick at bay. It would not do any good for the two of them to become angry at each other. Günter was right. They needed to survive and work together. There was no other way around it, although he did feel slight vindication when he saw Günter standing behind him with a slightly guilty look upon his face.

"I am sorry," Günter said with a sigh. "I know that it was hard for you to do that."

Gwendal shrugged in response. It wasn't in anger or indifference. It was merely how he usually responded to Günter. The other demon limped to stand beside him and touched his arm.

"I appreciate everything you've done so far. Please know that. I just don't want to have us take any unnecessary risks. We do not know this island. We are out of our element, so we-"

"Need to work together," Gwendal finished. "I understand your reasons, Günter. No need to sound like a stagnant 'bad omen' bird."

He heard the little huff of annoyance that Günter tended to do whenever His Majesty had skivved off from his lessons, and it was somehow amusing to Gwendal.

"We should go back up to where I left my jacket and shirt. I'd like to have made camp before the sun becomes too hot."

After they had made a trip to the underground stream and repacked Günter's bag, Gwendal found himself carrying Günter (much to Günter's embarrassment) bridal style as they rode the rock wall Gwendal had manipulated the night before up the cliff-face.

"We should, when we're stronger and better rested, come back for that sail," Günter said over the din of rock now falling up. "It would make for a good tent."

Gwendal fought the pangs of a headache that was brought on from the duress of using his maryoku and Günter practically yelling into his ear, but he was interested in Günter's plan. The sail that had been wrapped up in Günter's wreckage cocoon, from what Gwendal estimated, would make for a nicely sized tent with material to spare for a blanket or two and scraps for bandages.

But that would have to come when they both had the strength to carry it between them.

The walk back to the camp was long and exausting. Even if Günter protested for Gwendal to let him down to walk, Gwendal was not about to slow their already crawling pace even more with Günter limping along behind him.

"What do you think is in that crate?" Günter had remarked as they passed by. "Have you checked it?"

"Yesterday. It is sealed very tightly. I did not have the strength to open it."

"Whatever is in there is probably well kept. I hope it proves to be something useful."

Finally, when they reached the treeline where Gwendal's shirt and uniform jacket were hung, Gwendal had to keep himself from practically collapsing in the shade after he had put Günter down. He did, however, lay himself down in a more dignified manner when Günter suggested (he could practically hear the beginning of one of Günter's famous fretting sessions, but thankfully, Günter had held off) that Gwendal should rest.

From here he lay in the shade of the trees. He didn't budge when Günter had re-placed his cloak upon Gwendal's exposed back and didn't remark when he watched Günter limp past him into the forrest.

He must have dozed off again because he did not hear Günter approach from wherever the older demon had wandered off to, but when he felt something cold, thick, and wet touch his back, Gwendal arched up like a startled cat.

"Oh, Gwendal, I am so sorry. I didn't realize!" The advisor fussed over him. "Lie back down. I am sorry. I found some aloe plants." He could hear Günter snapping the stalks and leaves from where he sat beside him. "This should help your burns for now. There are a lot of these plants in our immediate area, so we will have it in good supply."

Gwendal tried not to wince too hard as Günter rubbed the sticky aloe across his back, but he could feel the effects of it starting to work immediately. The heat of the burn seamed to be dissipating with each pass of Günter's hand.

Günter's cloak was returned to Gwendal's back. "Rest. I'll search for a closer water supply and something to eat."

"Your foot. You shouldn't push yourself so much."

Günter smiled and then patted the sword that was resting in its sheath. "If I hadn't been carried up a cliff and on a long trek, I would agree with your sentiments, Gwendal, but since you were so kind to lend your strength to bring us here, I'll use my own now to see if I can be less of a burden to you."

Gwendal made a noise of protest, but Günter crouched down to place a finger to his lips. "I will be fine. If I need you, I'll call. You know that I am capable of being loud."

Gwendal rolled his eyes but did not argue. "Don't go so far that you get lost."

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><p>More soon! Thank you for reading and commenting! :)<p> 


	4. Chapter 3B

**Rating: **PG - M

**Pairing:**Gwendal x Günter mainly, but there are other pairings in the background (Yozak x Conrart, Yuuri x Wolfram, etc.)

**Genre: **Survival, fluff, angst, romance

**Summary: **After the King's ship is attacked and lost, Gwendal finds himself ship-wrecked on an unknown island with Günter. As they help each other survive on the island, Gwendal tries to find a way to handle his suddenly known feelings towards his colleague and fellow castaway.

**Notes:** Once again, I would like to say a huuuuge thank you to the amazingly awesome **puck_the_elf**  
>for beta'ing this story for me!<p>

* * *

><p>The sound of Günter's voice brought him out of his ill rest, but Gwendal was glad for it. He was never one to suffer from nightmares, but when he did they tended to leave him anxious for the rest of the day. Thankfully he had been pulled out of it before any damage could be added to his stress levels, although seeing the corpses of his loved ones floating in a burning sea did unnerve him slightly at how real the dream had been.<p>

"Gwendal? Are you awake?" Günter's voice called again from the forest. Gwendal squinted at the tree line and ignored the pounding ache behind his eyes. Günter could not be too far off.

"I am!" he answered as he unsteadily got his legs under him. They were once again protesting his constant abuse of them.

He walked in the direction of where he had heard Günter's call. It wasn't too much later that he found his companion, relieved of his uniform jacket and sitting on a large rock looking absolutely winded.

"I am sorry," Günter said with a kind smile. "I thought I could manage the rest of the way, but I stopped to rest, and I now my foot will not allow me to put weight on it."

"I told you that you shouldn't have pushed yourself too soon. You probably caused it to swell again."

Günter 'hmmed' at Gwendal's observation, then presented his jacket which had been bundled on his lap and held it out like a gift. "I found lunch," he said with a smile that showed that he was all too pleased with himself.

Gwendal took the bundle of cloth and opened it to find a decent amount of wild carrots. They were long and thin, but at this moment Gwendal did not think he had ever been so happy to see a carrot before in his life.

"I think we will be able to sustain ourselves easily on this island," Günter said. "Those carrots are part of a larger crop I found, and it looks like there may be other fruits and vegetables, and perhaps a source of fresh water nearby, but for now-"

Günter slid off the rock then and drew his sword to cut at one of the vines that had coiled around the tree behind him. He struck just above where the vine was close to the root and held the cut vine out to Gwendal. "You look like you need a drink. The water stored in here is surprisingly cold and plentiful. I spared some of the water from my vine to wash the carrots."

Gwendal took the vine with an appreciative nod and drank. The water that poured into his mouth tasted earthy and sweet, but as Günter had noted it was cool and very clean.

Günter was beaming at him, at least as much as he was able. "I know it's not meat, but I know this is safe for you to eat...unless you have a carrot allergy no one knows about."

Gwendal shook his head at the joke. "No. I can eat carrots. And it is fine. I am grateful for anything that is edible right now."

They ate their small meal in silence, but Gwendal was immensely relieved to have found something to fill his stomach other than water, and Günter seemed very happy that he had been able to be of assistance.

He knew from experience that Günter was always happiest when he could be helpful. A Günter without a schedule of tasks made for a very anxious Günter, one that often stalked around his castle looking for things to do and fret over, turning him into a flailing assassin of Von Voltaire heirlooms.

"We should take inventory of what we have before we make camp tonight," Günter suggested as he nibbled on his last carrot. "It will make things easier if we're organized. I know we are both trained soldiers, but this whole situation has put us out of our element. We've been too lax about the basics."

Gwendal nodded. It was true that they had gone against survival protocol, but it was not like they trained their soldiers to survive on large, uninhabited tropical islands either.

With a promise from Günter to show him where he had found their food, Gwendal once again resorted to carrying Günter back to their "camp", this time with less protest from Günter.

Once they were settled (and Gwendal had finally put his shirt back on, although it itched from where it rubbed against his burned skin), they decided to take inventory of Günter's bag.

The items that had managed to survive the ordeal were surprising and very fortunate as they included wet gauze (which could be used once it was cleaned and dried), a few pots of Yarrow ointment, a small knife, vials of dried herbs (most did not survive, but Gwendal was sure that they could use the remaining vials for something), a pair of shears, maps, writing tools, Günter's journal (which was mostly ruined, but like the bandages, Günter insisted that once the journal was dried it could still be used), and a stuffed penguin that Gwendal recognized that he had made years ago before the penguin had been amongst the lot he had given to his dwindling list of "adoptive parents".

"You have this, of all things, with you?" Gwendal said as he poked at the damp mass of yarn. Even damp with bits of sand encrusted upon the stuffed animal, it was still cute.

Günter scooped up the penguin. "Oh, you mean this little chicken you gave me? I always take something from home with me whenever I go on a journey," he proclaimed with a smile. Gwendal made an amused snort. At least Günter's assumption was closer to the species this time around.

"Also in our inventory we have one sword, the laces from our boots, our clothing which can be used to carry water until we find another way," Günter prattled on. "Is there anything else I am missing?"

Gwendal shook his head. "Unless we are going to count possible items from the piles of wreckage that we've seen so far, in which case we have bits of rope, wood, a sail, and whatever is in that crate." Gwendal gave Günter's bag an appraising look. "It seems I was shippwrecked with the right person. The more I consider the situation, I think I would have been dead yesterday had I not found your sword, you, and your bag of useful tricks."

"Says the man who can move mountains and found our water source," Günter chidded. "Speaking of, we must find another one. We cannot rely on the vine water."

"And we cannot subsist on carrots," Gwendal noted. "We should, once we make shelter, really explore this island, see if there are more things we can live off of- any game or roughage we can catch or gather."

Gwendal could see Günter make a mental check on his list at that point before he brought up another point. "Do you wish to stay here in this area? Or would you want to make a camp elsewhere on the island?"

Gwendal nodded at Günter's words as he weighed their known options. The cove, while it did have the added perk of a water source, was not really ideal for a longer term shelter. Even if Gwendal could carve out a cave for them to sleep in, there was still the threat of flooding and being too far inland to create and maintain an effective distress signal. Also, until Gwendal had the excess maryoku to spare, there wasn't at this time an easy access to the cove. Any hunting and gathering would have to be done on the upper levels of the island and then brought down to the cove.

Where they were at the moment provided shade, and there was a small source of water and food nearby. They could easily keep a lookout for any ships, and the trees were dense enough to keep them from being too exposed to the elements. However, the trees were very tall, not the best to make a lean-to unless they had enough ropes to tie about the trunks, so at the moment, they could not even think about draping any sails or what-not over a branch to make a roof. There weren't a lot of low hanging long branches either to make up for their lack of sail.

But this was okay for now. The sky was clear, there was so sign of rain, and the small thicket they were now sitting in would provide enough shelter until they could gather the necessary materials and find another location to make a better shelter.

Günter nodded quietly in agreement as Gwendal outlined their options. It was decided that Gwendal would be the main hunter/gatherer in the known area, while Günter would be a lookout for any potential rescuers, to give Günter a few days to heal before they would strike out to explore their (hopefully temporary) new home and find a better shelter location.

Today Gwendal would search their known area for more food and other tools, while Günter made and tended to a fire.

"We should look at that crate today. If there is food or other stored goods in there, it would be a waste to allow them to potentially rot. If anything, that crate could be used for something else, perhaps something to store food or our camp while we search the land," suggested Günter.

Gwendal nodded. It made sense to go back and look at the crate before they really settled in for the night, even if it meant another trek along the beach now during the hottest point of the day. There was no point in making a fire or camp if neither of them were going to be around to tend to it.

"Fine, but before we go back for the crate we should look at your foot. We have been assuming that it is just a sprain, and even though you put a lot of your weight on it today it is better to just be sure."

"Gwendal, I am fine," Günter insisted. "It is probably best to keep it in the boot-"

"And risk that you have a cut or an actual broken bone that could cause an infection?" Gwendal interrupted. "As you said before, you and I are not that adept at healing. Who is not using his head now, Günter?"

Günter gave an annoyed huff. "Alright, but if I cannot get my foot back into the boot, I will not be happy. I do not plan to wander around barefoot while my ankle heals."

Gwendal made a noise of consent as he pushed the the older demon to lean back on his elbows, as Gwendal gingerly eased Günter's boot off of his injured foot.

As they had suspected, Günter's ankle was badly sprained, but fortunately nothing was broken nor had the skin been ruptured in any way. The pale skin was a blotchy blueish-black, and the ankle and surrounding area was a plump sphere protruding off of the bone.

"We need to wrap it," was Gwendal's quiet diagnosis. "And you need to keep off of it for a while."

"Gisela told me that it is best to walk as much on a sprain as you're able so that the ligaments do not get shortened and stiff. It could cause re-injury. Anyway, it is not as bas as-please do not prod at it!" Günter hissed out the last part as he winced in pain.

"You did too much on it today. Don't try to hide it, Günter. You would not have called me to retrieve you if it wasn't so painful."

Günter's expression was dark as he nodded, his eyes flicking away from where Gwendal was handling his foot.

"No need to be proud over it either. You are not invincible, and neither am I." Gwendal tried to keep the amusement out of his voice, but it had been so long since he had seen Günter in soldier form. A petty injury like this on what Günter was probably regarding as a battlefield was probably more wounding to his personal pride than if it had happened at the castle where Günter could wail for his daughter and would fret over a possibility that he could not be able to serve his king.

Gwendal sighed as he focused his maryoku into the injury. It wasn't a healing spell, but he knew how to soothe enough to take the edge off of the hurt.

"You shouldn't be wasting your maryoku on this," Günter said quietly, but Gwendal could hear the relief in his voice.

Gwendal said nothing as he then used his power to make another support out of earth for Günter's foot. "Let's use the gauze to wrap this for now."

"If you go and wash them with the vine water, I can use my power to dry them," Günter supplied. "Then we'll go to the crate?"

"Only if you allow me to carry you."

Günter made a noise of protest. "Only if you let me walk on the way back."

***  
>The crate's top was surprisingly easy to open now that they had Günter's sword to use as a prybar. All it took was finding a small weak spot in the wood and seal, and Gwendal using his brute strength to wedge the sword tip into the spot to give them enough leverage to crack the top open.<p>

Pulling themselves up so that they could see into the crate's contents, they found that whatever it was was packed in an interior crate. After that one had been dealt with in a similar manner to its bigger brother (they used their weight and Günter's air maryoku to tip the exterior crate over), they pulled the top off and found a thick padded material that covered another large but differently designed crate, which they assumed had to be protecting a delicate cargo.

And it was. Gwendal felt his eyes twitch when he saw what the contents actually were.

"Oh my! Look, Gwendal, these are the brand of soaps, hair products and oils that your mother fancies!"  
>***<p> 


	5. Chapter 4

******Rating: **PG - M

**Pairing:** Gwendal x Günter mainly, but there are other pairings in the background (Yozak x Conrart, Yuuri x Wolfram, etc.)

**Genre: **Survival, fluff, angst, romance

**Summary: **After the King's ship is attacked and lost, Gwendal finds himself ship-wrecked on an unknown island with Günter. As they help each other survive on the island, Gwendal tries to find a way to handle his suddenly known feelings towards his colleague and fellow castaway.

**Notes:** Once again, I would like to say a huuuuge thank you to the amazingly awesome **puck_the_elf** for beta'ing this story for me!

Second: Happy New Year everyone! Sorry this took so long to get this chapter out!

* * *

><p>"That's the last of them," Günter remarked as he gingerly set aside the glass bottles of shampoos he had been counting, then added the number to their hard copy of the inventory that was being tallied on a dried page of Günter's journal. "Not to worry, Gwendal. There was none of that 'black orchid' scent."<p>

Gwendal shrugged in response but was glad to hear that the infamous black orchid was not among them on this island. The last thing he or Günter needed was "heightened inspiration of feelings" in this situation. That and the fact that he hated how the scent made him sneeze whenever his mother wore it.

He struck the flint stone against its counterpart, hoping this time that the fire would finally catch. They had spent the better part of the day dragging back the crate and its contents (rather, he spent the day dragging it back like a mule while Günter limped along carrying the cumbersome thick pallet-like material that had covered the final interior crate), and Gwendal wanted nothing more than to have this fire going before the night set in, as they were exposed to who-knew-what sort of creatures that stalked the jungle at night.

Now that he thought about it, perhaps once they had a better idea of the lay of the island, they would build a camp that was not exposed on the edge of a jungle they knew nothing about. He hoped there would be somewhere that was not only safe from potential predators, but could offer them a strategic vantage point for surveying for danger or a rescue.

He turned to see Günter arranging the bottles back into their crate and fussing over the other items in their small but useful inventory. Ever since they had returned with the soaps and other products, Günter's mood had lifted considerably. Not that Günter was at all prissy when it came to getting his hands metaphorically or literally dirty -Gwendal had gone on many campaigns with the older demon that often involved sleeping outdoors and in their clothing repeatedly before being able to find inns and amenities- but Gwendal knew that Günter valued keeping his appearance fresh and clean, and if his fastidiousness could be sated while "roughing-it", it was probably all for the better.

As if reading his mind, Günter piped up. "Tomorrow, when you go exploring, keep an eye out for a place to bathe. Hopefully whatever water source you find is like a stream. It would be so much easier to know where we can drink and where we can bathe without fear of fouling up our water source."

Gwendal made a noise of compliance. He supposed that any offer of the fact that bathing could be done in the ocean would be met with a "That would be redundant, Gwendal.".

He struck the rock harder than ever this time around, the hand holding the older rock trembling from the force of the blow, but thankfully a hearty spark leapt up and caught on the tinder he had gathered. Finally.

"You have the fire going," Günter said with a happy note as he came by their designated fire pit. "Do you want me to go and gather more of the carrots? It would not take long. I will be back before sundown."

"I thought we agreed that you wouldn't be pushing your foot anymore today," Gwendal said as he stood, dusting the sand from his trousers, and then before Günter could protest, "You tend to the fire. I'll go and gather dinner. Do you think we have enough kindling for the night?" he asked as he looked at their collection of broken branches and dried wood from the wreckage they had gathered.

"I think it should hold us for the night," was Günter's answer.

Without another word, Gwendal picked up the sword and Günter's emptied bag and headed in the direction of where Günter had described the carrot patch was located. He strode through the lush grasses, being mindful of his surroundings and the fact that it was the beginning of the end of the day.

There was so much to do, he found himself thinking and realising that the reality that he and Günter were stranded here indefinitely was shaping up to pass. Not a single boat had been seen all day. Gwendal had been hoping that some ship or fleet would have sailed by whether on a trading route or to investigate for any survivors from their ill-fated journey.

Their ship had been a large passenger barge, not a ship from the king's own fleet with royal banners announcing their presence on the waters, and even though the voyage's purpose had been for a vacation of sorts with one of Yuuri's oldest allies rather than for politics and diplomacy, he and Conrart had seen to being discreet. Yuuri was dressed in his disguise, Conrart and Wolfram in their traveling "commoner" outfits, and Yozak and his men concealed and assimilated into the crew.

Only himself and Günter were in their uniforms, and their suites were far from the ones being occupied by Yuuri, Conrart, and Wolfram. In fact, he and Günter had made a point not to openly interact with either of his brothers or their king, in order not to draw any suspicion to the young man with messy brown hair and brown contacts that had a tendency to fall out at the most awkward of times.

Thinking of those moments, pretending not to know his own brothers had its benefits. For example, it had made it easy for Gwendal to extract himself when a crowd had begun to form around Wolfram, as the blonde prince had taken to raging at his fiancé between bouts of sea-sickness induced vomiting. Looking back on this from a bystander's point of view, Gwendal supposed it had been humorous.

But he and Günter were listed among a full first-class itinerary. In short, there were enough important lives on board to spark some sort of search when the ship failed to reach their destination's harbor. And if an inquiry was not launched for their missing ship, one would have been launched for the Cimmeron war vessel that had been involved.

Whether the other ship too was lost or not, Cimmeron would come looking for its own. And not to mention, the country was now in violation of many treaties with many of their allies. Even if those allies did not have a stake with the Demon Kingdom, the assumed truth of the matter was that Cimmeron attacked a passenger vessel in neutral waters that lead to the deaths of many and property damage. The news from that alone should have prompted countries to send their own fleets in aid.

But so far nothing. He knew that not many days had passed, but still he had hoped to have seen something other than sky and endless water on the horizon.

He pushed further through the dense brush to where Günter had indicated the carrots grew, picked a generous portion, placing the carrots into the bag, and then pressed further beyond the patch. It wouldn't hurt to look a bit beyond to see if there were any signs of fresh water or other food sources.

It also gave him more time alone with his thoughts. If they were stranded there was more that they had to figure out for not only their survival but also in terms of how to make life easier while they waited out their time on this island. It would mean being extremely resourceful for one thing. And the more resourceful they could be here on this island, perhaps the matter of somehow escaping the island by their own means would also come up...

No, that would be too much of a risk right now. Even if Günter could use his maryoku to power the sails of any means of a raft they could make, there was no way to tell how to navigate them towards friendlier land or avoid drifting into the human lands where their powers were rendered useless.

No, he thought as he used the sword to cut a vine so that he could drink, a raft was definitely a last resort, only when they both had nothing else to loose. Right now they were strong and healthy (rather, once Günter was fully healed, he would be healthy) with their wits about them. They could possibly do this, survive here for a few weeks, maybe a month (he hoped, upon hope that there would be a boat by then) or more.

He heard it then, under the noise of the birds and other creatures of this jungle...the telltale noise of babbling water that he had heard yesterday in the cave. Gwendal picked up his pace and found a brook that was was running through the jungle at about an hour's walk from their camp.

The current was stronger here, he noted, and was running downstream in the direction of where he surmised the cove was, where at some point it went underground. He decided to follow the run against the current, heading west to see what he might find. The sun was still out, and Gwendal could benefit a little more with expanding the known area.

He walked onwards, feeling the ground rise once more under his feet in a slight incline, and soon he was traversing the hills. Gwendal was keeping an eye out for anything that could be useful, be it prey, friend, or foe. Knowing that they weren't the only two people on this island would settle his already on the edge nerves.

It wasn't that he minded Günter. It was more for the comfort of having someone else who may share their predicament (and possibly contribute more to their camp) or finding civilization or society that could assist them with living or escaping the island. Also having an extra pair of eyes would be a tremendous help during the day to be on watch for rescuers and during the night to be on guard against any enemies or predators.

The sun was beginning to wane in the sky when Gwendal came upon the cascading falls and the small lake that fed the brook. The hills he noted here lead to higher elevations, and from what he judged were possible plateaus with mountain side and maybe steppes.

He would definitely return here, he thought as he stooped to take a drink and wash the carrots. Perhaps going to higher ground would be a better option than staying on the beach.

There was a noise then, on the opposite bank. It startled Gwendal, but not enough to root him in place. He quickly pushed back into the vegetation, crouching low enough to be out of sight but also to see what was approaching on the opposite side.

A deer.

A large buck was on the other bank, drawing closer for a drink. Gwendal cursed himself for being so obtuse. How could it have been anything else but an animal? He watched the creature for a bit, sizing it up and wondering if it would catch his scent and flee. But it didn't.

Perhaps, Gwendal thought, perhaps this animal, like the crabs in the morning pool, did not know to fear the scent of man and demon. And if there were deer on this island...Gwendal's mind was going to work. There was large game on this island that did not know how to avoid a new type of predator. A deer could sustain the both of them for a while, the meat for food and bait, the bones and sinew for tools...

Von Voltaire was mostly hunting lands, and his father and forefathers enjoyed a good hunt. He had never enjoyed the hunt for sport (deer, wild pigs, fox, and pheasants were too cute to kill merely for pride and show of skill), but he of course knew how to hunt for survival. It would be difficult to take down the mark as he was, with only a sword and no idea of the land to where the deer could possibly flee.

He and Günter would have to discuss a strategy in order to profit and avoid serious injury from any hunting they would have to do, but the knowledge that there was something as sustaining as deer on this island made Gwendal feel hopeful (although, it made his stomach want something more than carrots) that the situation was not as bleak as it had initially seemed.

The deer looked up suddenly from where it was drinking, and Gwendal became as still as stone. The animal sniffed at the air a few moments, its eye casting over where Gwendal crouched, and suddenly bounded off into the safety of the jungle.

Tomorrow, thought Gwendal, he would spend a good amount of his time tracking for a herd.

* * *

><p>He returned to Günter's fretting as the sun was finally dying on the horizon of the water.<p>

"I was so worried! You were gone so long! Honestly, Gwendal, what in Shinou's name were you thinking? Did something happen? Are you hurt? Is that why it took you so long to come back?"

"I am fine, I assure you," Gwendal groused as he batted Günter's hands from their intended path to inspect him for any injuries. "I have news."

He told Günter about the water and the deer, the paler man's face losing its previous visible stress as he also became excited over the news of a water source and new food option.

"Hunting deer as we are will prove very challenging," the king's advisor murmured, tucking his hand under his chin and looking away in the typical fashion that alerted Gwendal to the fact that the cogs in the man's mind were already working their way to a solution.

"We would need to find the herd, of course, and figure out a manner in which to capture the beast that won't leave us gored or trampled..." he trailed off looking to Gwendal for any input, but then speaking suddenly. "How are you at making snares?"

"Decent, but a snare is not going to take down a deer."

"No, but it will help us become better at hunting here first, show us other options. Seeing as we are going to have to hunt at a distance as we have no means of arrows or other long range hunting tools, we'll have to know the land better, see how the animals migrate. It will take some practice before we're decent at it. Also, as we are now, there is no way we can live off of a deer without it going to waste first."

"Again with the waste," Gwendal grumped, but he had to once again admit Günter had a point. Why risk frustration and resources you really could not waste on the large prize when you could hone multiple skills and gather more resources on smaller rewards.

He allowed Günter to take the bag from him as he sat down by the fire to rest. His back had begun to itch and ache again, so he removed his shirt to provide some relief. The cool breeze of the coming night was soothing to the burns. Gwendal watched as Günter busied himself with preparing their dinner and also noted that Günter had not been idly waiting for his return.

"I see you haven't been good about staying off of your injury." Gwendal didn't say it unkindly. There was some amusement in his tone. He really should have expected it.

When Günter looked up at him to see what he was referring to, Gwendal held up one of several (albeit poorly) hollowed out coconuts that were scattered about the fire.

"I was trying to make water containers. It's awfully hard to do so with a knife. It's not sharp enough to cut it cleanly. Sometimes the hulls split and leak when you exert too much pressure or spend the better part of your strength sawing at it." Günter sniffed. "Don't get me started on the water." Gwendal noticed that there were fresh stains on Günter's clothing. "I did manage to scrape most of the fruit out of the ones I ruined," the older demon said indicating a flat stone which had leaves spread across it and a small mound of the white fleshy fruit upon it.

"Your new work bench?"

Günter "hmmed" at that statement. "I did manage to make skewers," the other demon said brightly as he showed Gwendal the sharpened sticks he was now impaling a few of the carrots upon to be roasted. "Soaked them for a bit in the ocean so they won't burn."

Gwendal rose, taking two of the still whole coconuts with him. "Where did you get these?"

"I used my maryoku to knock them from the trees," Günter explained, indicating the tallest trees that were now bare of a few fruit.

Gwendal took the pair over to the stone, taking care to move the harvested fruit before he took one of the coconuts, set it on the hard surface just on the edge, and then with a strong cut of his sword neatly sliced it in half. He lost most of the water, but the husk and the fruited walls inside were whole enough to hold liquid.

"We can drink the coconut water, correct?"

Günter looked up from his current task. "Yes, but not too much of it. The water is sweet and refreshing, but too much of the sugar and we will dehydrate. I've read that it is a common mistake amongst travelers to tropical lands who subsist on something meant to be a treat only to become ill from dehydration later."

"It is still good to know that we have a variety in what we can drink though."

"As long as coconuts are ripe, I suppose it will be a nice diversion."

Gwendal picked up Günter's knife that had been left on the stone and used it to cut pieces of the white fruit away while leaving enough of the rind intact to be a suitable water trap.

"I also read," Günter said, "that the shells are a good source of fuel for the fire, and that the husk fibers can be used to make mats and bedding...although we do have that packing material from the crate to use as a bed. It's wide enough for both of us to share, I believe...unless your sleeping habits mirror Wolfram's."

"I stay to my side," Gwendal answered quietly, although he felt a dither of shyness run through his body at the prospect of sharing a bed with someone who was not an invading younger sibling who was having problems sleeping due to night terrors; and those instances seemed lifetimes ago considering neither Conrart or Wolfram liked to bring those particular stories up (their mother on the other hand...).

It was stupid to act like that, he supposed, as he carried the two halves into the trees searching for a vine to cut. What was the difference of laying next to someone on a pallet to stay warm and huddling together in a cave as they had last night? It meant nothing. It was only a matter of survival. Even Günter, with all his immersion in modesty and etiquette would agree. They were both trained soldiers who needed to survive, and nothing more would be implied from that when sharing a bed.

He hoped and resolved not to think any further on the subject as he carried the water filled halves back to the camp.

As dinner cooked, Gwendal took it upon himself to set up their sleeping area. He unfolded the thick material from the crate and saw that Günter had been correct in stating that it was large enough for the both of them.

Then he took some of the longer, flatter pieces of wood they had salvaged from the wreck and arranged them as best as possible in a manner so that the pallet would not be directly on the sand. And then, with a bit of his own magic, he elevated the ground underneath the pallet enough so that it would be safe in case the high tides managed to come this far to their camp.

"Dinner is ready," Günter called, and Gwendal gladly went to sit by the fire.

* * *

><p>Dinner proved to be filling, and the pair of them gladly enjoyed an unhurried meal that was warm.<p>

They spoke of hunting tactics to be used and ideas for resources they could find on the island. Gwendal was finding more and more that he was stranded with the best possible person, as Günter was proving to be their own personal living library.

"I don't think the academy teaches or even knows of the information that is in your head. Do you spend your days memorizing every tome in the castle?"

Günter rolled his eyes. "You know I am always trying to be prepared for anything His Majesty needs." Then, "...or gets into."

The conversation eventually turned away from their current situation and into a smattering of state intrigue.

"I was thinking," Günter said as he stared quietly into the fire. "Since we're on the subject of state affairs, how are you going to keep your uncle away from Von Voltaire? Anissia too, for that matter."

Gwendal looked up at his companion. "What do you mean?"

"You have no heirs, and Hube, due to his criminal past, would be ineligible to take over, and his son is too young to rule. Since Voltaire is still one of the few nobles' lands that still require that the heir be male and a noble, the only person in this case would be Von Spitzweg, since your mother is unable to claim it, and Wolfram is engaged to His Majesty, which now excludes him from any succession other than Belefield...I don't know about you, but it makes me uneasy for your uncle to be in closer proximity to His Majesty."

Gwendal broke a piece of the coconut fruit in his hands before placing the sweet bit of fruit in his mouth. "Ah, I see. I have already made arrangements in that matter. Hube will rule over my lands."

"But he can't..."

"In Conrart's stead. I've named Conrart as my successor."

Günter's reaction was shock, but Gwendal knew it wasn't because he had named a half-demon, but more so that Günter didn't get the logic.

"Think about it. The Voltaire creed states that only a male of noble birth with relationship to the Voltaire ruler can run the lands. As you stated, my only male cousin, Hube, has been rendered inelligable from succession, and Eru is too young and of course a half-demon, so the other nobles will not have that."

"Yes, I agree, they won't. So given that most of them are prejudiced towards humans and half-demons, how does that make Conrart eligible?"

"Oh, he will be. See, right now Conrart is the only one eligible, being that he is my brother and the son of the former Queen and human nobility, he is closer to me in succession than Stoffle would be."

"Yes, I see, but, Gwendal, what is it that makes Conrart able to overcome the fact that he's a half-demon? His background alone would disqualify him, even if they can't stand your uncle."

"The king has to sign off on the agreement and reasons put forth by the council."

Günter paused. "Excuse me?"

Gwendal took another sip. "In order for my lands to be transferred outside of my line directly, the king must agree to what the nobles vote on and their reasons as to why Conrart would not be eligible...do you see where this is going?"

The look of amazement began to dawn on Günter's face as his mind leapt from rule to outcome. "They wouldn't even dare to bring up Conrart's heritage as a factor as to why he would be ineligible to your lands to his Majesty."

"Exactly. They'll have no choice but to allow my lands to transfer to Conrart instead of my uncle. And seeing as Conrart will not leave his majesty's side for any reason such as ruling my lands..."

"He'll appoint a regent."

Gwendal smiled. "And seeing as there is a stipulation, while at the disgression of the successor, that any regent appointed of my lands MUST be a male noble from Voltaire, the only person eligible is:.."

"Your nephew, Eru."

"Who is too young to rule, so..."

"Hube," Günter breathed. "And Hube would never allow Stoffle to come anywhere near your lands, and he has pledged unyielding loyalty to Yuuri. Of course he would never dream to cross you or Conrart." He looked at Gwendal with admiration. "That is genius, Gwendal."

"Thank you. Conrart and I had a good laugh over it when we designed the whole plot."

Günter smiled, but then, "How does that keep Annisina out?"

Gwendal sighed. "It doesn't. That, unfortunately, is something that won't be stopped. Anissina made sure that she became very close with Nicola. Even if Hube fortified my castle against her contraptions and entry, I am sure his dear wife would leave a side gate in the garden open for her."

"Or just open the drawbridge," Günter said with a roll of his eyes.

"That too."

Günter grinned, a laugh threatening to spill forth. "Can you imagine, the nobles trying to find some way to discredit Conrart that does not involve his heritage to his majesty? I wish I could be there to see them frantically scrambling to find some backwards way with the appearance of tact to explain that they don't want a half-demon as part of the Ten Nobles to their half-demon king."

Gwendal had to admit that the mental image would be humorous, but then again, hadn't the whole purpose of his succession plot been to stick it to his uncle and the kangaroo court that often defined the ten nobles? Gwendal was personally sick of dealing with their backward methods and sneaking tactics. Thank goodness Günter was appointed as his cousin's representative. Even if it took a lot of coaxing, he and Günter were always able to get things done.

"I can see Anissina's brother trying to arrange a financially strategic marriage between her and Conrart with your uncle and mother, post-succession."

"Not if Yozak has anything to say about it. At that point, I think he would drag Conrart to my castle on the back of his horse," Gwendal sighed. "And then he would have his hands full with keeping mother away 'for all of the details'."

"Ah, so they are together. I didn't realize Yozak was the possessive type."

Gwendal nodded. "Oh, he is. But then again, so is Conrart."

"A trend I have seen amongst you three brothers."

Gwendal bristled slightly at that comment; was it so much of a crime that he wanted his time in this quarters private, his peace when he worked, and his castle protected from whatever monstrosity Anissina's twisted mind produced?

"And you aren't possessive about the things you care about?" Gwendal retorted, "I seem to recall several scenarios where someone dared touch His Majesty. Don't act like you're not as bad as Wolfram sometimes, Günter."

The older demon made a soft smile., "Ah that is true, when it comes to our dear king I lose my head, but you've known for years now how attached I become to those who resolve to do well by our country."

Gwendal took another sip of the water, ignoring how the few lingering pieces of the husk tickled against his lips. "So all of that wailing, swooning, and fretting is because Yuuri has sworn vows to the Demon Kingdom?"

Günter gave a soft laugh. "Yes, I suppose I have allowed my dramatic flare to get the better of me, but for so many years of darkness and instability it is is finally good to see a proven light." The older demon took another sip of his own drink before continuing. "But that didn't answer your question really, other than to explain myself and His Majesty. But, yes I am possessive."

"That's it?"

"You knew the answer already, Gwendal," Günter said with a note of amusement in his voice. "You've seen it first hand. The things and people I am possessive over, well, I find that I tend to linger longer around them." Then with a cryptic smile, "You've complained often that I managed to find myself in situations where I should have left well enough alone or those in peace…"

Gwendal thought that the pointed look Günter made was a trick of the fire's light, but in a blink it was gone entirely.

"I'll take the first watch," Günter stated as he stood, "You should get all the rest you can, seeing as I am physically unable to heft my share of this burden until my foot heals," He sheathed his sword, "I'll wake you in three hours."

* * *

><p>To Be Continued...<p>

Thanks for taking the time to read and review! Your comments are very encouraging! 3 Till next time!


	6. Chapter 5A

There were two things Gwendal noticed when he awoke. The first being that it was early morning, meaning that Günter had reneged on his promise that he would wake Gwendal after three hours for his turn at night watch.

The second was that he was alone. That fact, however, didn't worry him too much considering that there was no sign of a struggle, and that Günter had left the sword...along with a note made from a scrap of journal paper and charred ash from their now dead fire.

Günter's cheery note of: _Hope you slept well, Gwendal I went to look for breakfast. Be back soon!_ was crushed in Gwendal's fist. He was trying not to be too annoyed at his companion, even though he did feel well rested, but he could feel the oncoming tick lurking on the ends of his nerves.

With the sword in hand, Gwendal stalked into the jungle in the only direction they both knew where Günter could limp off to, and when he found Günter waist-deep in what he realized was the not-so-shallow stream bathing, Gwendal groused.

"I swear when I find strong enough rope, I am going to bind your legs and arms, Günter."

The other demon only gave him a cheeky smile. "And 'good morning' to you too, Gwendal. Care to join me?"

"I thought you were going to wake me after three hours," Gwendal continued, ignoring the pleasantries.

Günter shrugged as he tipped the scented shampoo out of its glass bottle and worked it into a lather. "You needed the sleep. You've been pushing yourself." And then as he worked the lather over his body, "Honestly, you've been getting after me about over exerting my foot, but you've been using your maryoku and your brute strength more than I have. Shinou help me, I did not have the heart to wake you."

Gwendal tried his hardest to keep his anger at bay. "But what about you? What if you injured yourself?" And then, pointing to the water, "Or drowned?"

Günter rolled his eyes. "It was a risk-"

"What did we say about risks, Günter? We cannot afford them."

Günter made to step closer to the bank where Gwendal was standing to make his point, but then slipped. Whatever comeback he was going to make was suddenly interrupted as the King's Advisor suddenly disappeared under the water.

It took a split second and the look of shock on Günter's face for Gwendal to push any idea that Günter was rinsing off his body and act by jumping into the stream near where Günter disappeared and then pulling the wet body from water.

Günter clung to him, coughing up the water that he had swallowed. "I slipped..."

Gwendal didn't have any time to feel vindicated as he offered Günter support out of the stream. He was too busy with the fact that Günter's very naked body was pressed up against his own form.

Normally, being around another male while naked would not have bothered him. He had grown up sharing communal baths with his family and other nobles in the palace and his cohorts at the military academy, but usually everyone kept mostly to themselves in an attempt to be modest and respectful.

But having Günter like this...was nothing of how a proper gentleman, let alone a noble, should be behaving. People slip, one helps them up, and the exchange is finished. Both parties do not clutch at the other for an extended period of time, even if one of said parties has a sprained ankle.

Günter must have noticed this as well because he was pushing away from Gwendal's form with a blush staining his cheeks. "Excuse me, Gwendal. Thank you."

Gwendal shrugged. "Now do you understand why I was upset?"

Günter made no response to the remark, other than to gingerly pick his way over where he had neatly laid out his clothes that were drying in the morning sun. "I hope you do not mind that I used some of the soap to wash my clothing."

Gwendal adverted his eyes from Günter's pale figure. "Not at all."

"I could wash your clothing if you like...if you'd like to bathe."

A heat was rising in Gwendal's own cheeks, and he felt the rise of flustered feelings that he usually would never acknowledge being capable of. "I should find food first. You can relight the fire when you return to the camp-"

"I already found breakfast," Günter said with a smile. "Over there. Near the bank, my bag is tied down there in the stream. I wanted to keep them fresh."

Gwendal followed Günter's hand to where it indicated the bag's location upstream, drifting in the current and secured to a rock with a bit of rope. Nearby on the bank, Gwendal saw Günter's knife and a large branch with a bloodstained sharpened tip.

Curious, Gwendal waded into the stream to where the bag was and opened the flap: six medium sized fish were inside.

"All that talk of hunting last night, I thought I'd see what I could immediately manage," Günter called over his shoulder. "It took me a while to get us three apiece. I figured that since I was already wet, I would take a bath and clean myself up for the trouble..."

Mood now thoroughly lifted, Gwendal felt all previous anger towards his companion dissipate. "This is amazing, Günter. But your bag will get ruined if we keep using it like this."

He heard Günter limping along the bank behind him and turned to see that Günter had at least the sense of decency to have put on his undergarment.

"A small sacrifice, but I suppose I'll have to wash that out too so that the blood and smell doesn't attract unwanted pests." And then, "Give me your trousers."

Gwendal sputtered at the statement, but Günter continued. "Oh for heaven's sake, Gwendal. Bathe. I'll wash your clothing downstream, and by the time you come back to the camp, I'll have the fish cooked. Don't look at me as if I am compromising your virtue."

Gwendal gulped. "I am no-"

"Clothes," Günter said firmly with his hand out.

Gwendal made an annoyed noise, but then went about stripping (which was very hard to do gracefully waist deep in running water) off his pants, undergarment, and boots in the water. He handed it all over to Günter, pointedly ignoring the other's pleased look, and took the bottle of soap Günter was offering him with the other hand.

The silver haired demon then picked up the bag and wandered downstream to were the current was quicker with Gwendal's clothing. "I'll leave your undergarment and boots on the rock over here so that you won't have to walk through the jungle completely naked."

Gwendal's annoyed grunt was as close to a "thank you" that Günter was going to get, he decided.

* * *

><p>When he did return to their little camp, Gwendal decided that he would have to do more than just tie Günter's arms and legs to keep the other demon from exerting himself.<p>

"I replenished our water," Günter beamed up him as he approached, "and I went and got more carrots on my way back. I wanted to get more coconuts, but I felt a touch dizzy when I tried to knock them out of the tree with my maryoku, since I had spent a fair amount of it drying your clothes."

No, Gwendal thought, he was going to have to pray that he found a strong chain and the ship's anchor to secure Günter, it seemed.

"Breakfast?" Günter offered, indicating the fish that were being cooked over the fire. Gwendal's stomach made its presence known at the mere thought of the first meal of meat that he had consumed since the ship.

Breakfast turned out to be a quick affair, as both of them were obviously hungrier than they wanted to admit themselves.

"Today you're going to track the deer? Find anywhere else useful to move to?" Günter asked over their breakfast. Gwendal nodded. "And you?" He said it in a tone that carried the message of: _ You better say "stay off my foot and keep watch."_

"I was going to see about figuring out a signal. We don't have anything at the moment that could be visible to any ships that pass."

So much for keeping Günter off of his foot then, Gwendal thought, but a signal was something that was necessary to have, and Günter was correct in his statement that at the moment they did not have anything that would provide them something ships could see at a distance.

"I'll look around a bit," Günter said with a barely concealed yawn. "And then I'll tend to the camp. Will you be gone long?"

"A few hours at most. I'll bring back anything I think is useful for your review."

Günter handed him his still wet (but obviously rinsed out) bag. "Please promise me that you will not ingest anything if you do not know what it is."

Gwendal nodded and left the fireside to dress.

He managed to trace himself back to where he had seen the deer the day befor, and found not only the hoofprints he presumed were from yesterday, but another identical set that seemed to be fresh.

Gwendal moved forward along the bank being careful not to tread too deep into thick brush and managed to follow the prints for a good while until they disappeared over a rocky hillside. He spent a good hour retracing his steps, looking to see if the deer had gone in another direction, but after seeing nothing else indicating otherwise, Gwendal decided to climb up the hillside to see where it lead.

Two hours later he was panting with tongue parched and legs feeling wobbly from the long trek, but the site before him was enough to make him push through his discomfort.

He was standing in the middle of a grassy plateau that gave him for the first time a good look at the side of the island. In front of him were a series of steppes that continued up along what he realized was either a large hill, or a small mountain. The sides of the plateau he was standing upon dropped off into the cliff side of the hill/mountain, but below he could see the sandy beach that surrounded the jungle and hillsides. He wasn't quite above the tree canopy, but if he continued heading forward and climbing up the steppes, he would soon be on the top of the mountain, or steep hill…he wasn't sure. He'd probably need to ask Günter, who would have some knowledge to make a judgment.

There were trees on a few of the steppes with vines. Although smaller and thinner than their counterparts on the jungle floor, their vines provided Gwendal a much needed drink of water and the energy to push on.

When he had finally reached the summit, he found that he was indeed on a hill because there was a much larger brother to the west that had been obscured by the trees and his low vantage point.

But here this hill looked over a valley of grassy plane, whose horizon vanished out over the cliffs that looked out towards the ocean. From where he stood he could see off in the distance the cliffs that surrounded the cove that he an Günter had taken shelter in on the first night and the beginning of where the beach curved around this side of the island to continue on its winding way.

If it hadn't been for the fact that they were stuck here indefinitely, Gwendal would admit to himself that this place was beautiful, serene even.

The grass beneath his boots was thick and springy, and despite the valley being surrounded by the hills and the mountain to the west, there was ample sunlight, protection from any high winds, and they were potentially sheltered from any predators as there were very few spots Gwendal could discern that a predator or enemy could be lurking to overcome them.

This would be an ideal spot, Gwendal thought has he looked over the plateau's edge. Even though it seemed high, he could easily with the help of his maryouku carve a way up here into the valley that they could access from the beach easily.

The only problem was that there was a lack of a water source. Right now there was little in their inventory to properly store a good amount of water, and beyond storing the water, they were now about an hour's walk from the falls.

Falls.

Gwendal looked to the west over the steppes and the platues that where behind him in the direction of where he had seen the deer.

"That water has to be coming from somewhere…" he muttered out loud, and he began to pick his way to where he estimated the lake was.

The higher he climbed, the less grass he encountered, and smooth stone began to rise out from under the green, and then after about half an hour, he heard the rushing sound of water.

It was a tributary to the falls that seemed to come out from the steepest point of the hill that was well beyond Gwendal's strength and ability to climb. The water was warm to the touch with a quick current. He walked a ways back to see how far the stream went before it dropped over the side and found that it disappeared again into a cavern mouth which he assumed was the opening for the falls.

Around him with the rushing waters of falls and the call of the ocean, Gwendal could hear the wildlife that he knew had always been there, but this was the first time Gwendal had stopped during his frantic search to find immediate supplies to really listen. There were birds, the occasional chirping of woodland creatures that Gwendal recognized from the forests from home.

They could survive here. It was stupid to come to this realization at this point, but this was the first moment since he had awoken on the island that Gwendal realized that survival was a sure thing.

There was food that could be hunted; there was water; and now a safe place that offered them not only concealment, but a good vantage point to keep a look out for any ships.

Plus there was stone. With his maryoku he could use his power to construct a few walls to provide a shelter. The stone would be better against the wind and rain; he hadn't bothered attempting to make walls with the sand, as they would crumble from the first bought of rain unless he was continuously feeding the structure his power. But the stone would stay put…and while he was on the subject, he could probably create a cistern to catch any rain water… or maybe…

Thousands of possibilities were flooding to him now. Of course he knew there was a high possibility that many of these ideas would either not work or were inefficient, but they were proof of his hope that this task ahead of him could be faced.

They could survive, live off the land, restore their strength, and as long as the risks were kept to a minimum, everything boiled down to just waiting for a rescue.

As he stooped by the water to quench his thirst and fill his stomach, he thought on that last point. For half a day he had been climbing with the ocean in his peripheral sight, and he had not seen a single ship.

Approximately three days had almost passed, and still nothing.

The pang of fear shot through him, the one that seemed to whisper in his mind that he and Günter were stuck out here for the rest of their days.

What if they were here, forgotten; mistakenly mourned by their loved ones who would eventually find the strength to move on with their lives?

He and Günter were trapped here on an island. Again, it was a stupid realization, but now the true magnitude was weighing down on his mind: trapped. Trapped and at the mercy of the island itself and their ability to adapt.

Gwendal swallowed. His mouth suddenly felt dry, and he took a few more mouthfuls of the water to calm his growing hysteria.

He needed to be strong. Strong like he always had to be for his country and kingdom. There was another person on this island that was relying on him. Gwendal knew that he could not allow his companion to die just because he was on the top of a tall hill (or mountain…really, he needed to bring Günter up here to figure this out) having a panic attack.

The sky was turning to late afternoon, and soon it would be getting dark; not an ideal time to be traipsing about the jungle. So he took a few moments to prepare himself for the journey back down to the beach, sating his thirst and gathering bits of flora and some blades of a thicker type of grass he had passed on his way up to bring back for Günter's review.

As he began his trek down, he took a moment to reaffirm that they could be able survive and ignored the thought that asked "_would they_?"

* * *

><p>His streak of optimism continued when he returned to find a pair of fat squirrels being cleaned on Günter's new "work bench", so that Gwendal did not have the strength to be irritated that Günter had once again ventured alone into the jungles on his injured foot.<p>

"Good news, I figured out how to make snares," Günter greeted him on his return to the camp. "Although, I think it is beginner's luck really…these animals do know that they should fear us. I was shocked that I caught the pair of them so quickly."

"When did you set them up?" Gwendal asked as he set about adding more kindling to their fire, then smoothing out a patch of sand so that he could draw a diagram of where he had ventured during the day. Perhaps while they still had some light he could persuade Günter to copy the diagram into his journal and take notes on what they had found so far on the island. Odd, he thought, how normal this seemed; like one of their usual internal meetings on affairs of state.

"This morning," Günter called over his shoulder as he began to fit the pieces of squirrel on a fresh set of "skewers". "I didn't say anything about them because I did not want to get our hopes up if they had not worked…that, and I figured I was already pushing your patience with me after the incident in the river. I don't think you would have been pleased with me had I mentioned I had done more on my foot that you realized."

Gwendal rolled his eyes but did not comment. Sometimes the other demon knew him so well.

With the squirrels roasting on the fire, Günter settled beside him, looking over Gwendal's shoulder to see his handiwork with the map. "What have you got there, Gwendal?"

"A better place to stay."

He told Günter of the planes that were nestled between the steppes and the hill (it's probably a small mountain, Gwendal) and the beginnings of a plan that he had to move everything they had up to the steppes.

"We should gather everything here first," Günter said as opened his journal and began to scribble down the notes as best as he was able with a burnt end of wood from the fire. "Which would mean going back to that cove to procure the sail and anything else of use from the wreckage."

"Provided that it hasn't been swept back out to sea by now."

"Let's be optimistic, Gwendal dear; but perhaps we should take a further look around the island? Really explore it? We have only seen what seems to be a fraction of our surroundings. What if there are people on the other side?"

"Don't you think they would have come upon us by now? It's been three days." He stood up to dust the sand from his legs. "Surely natives of this island would have been by here already. It does not look, at least from my vantage point, that it would take more than two full days to trek around this island."

Günter finished the sentence he was working on before he flipped his battered journal closed. "Perhaps we should take two days to explore? Or rather we both go off in opposite directions and meet in the middle-"

"No," Gwendal said with a start. "We stay together. I know we could cover more ground, but I'd rather not go too far into the unknown without having a means to know if you were in danger or how to find you. Should the need arise to explore the rest of the island, we will do it methodically."

Günter nodded and then said with a sigh, "That would be best. Not to be negative, but at the rate our rescue prospects are going, we may need to find a means to pass the time."

"I take it you saw nothing either."

The older demon shook his head as he busied himself with bringing their well-done squirrel meat off of the fire. "It has been three days…you would think that something would have passed us by now…we cannot be too far off from the wreck…oh, it's probably nothing. I am sure we'll see something by the end of the week, Gwendal. These things do take time. We were, after all, in open waters. It might have taken some time for people to have been rallied…"

Gwendal sighed. He didn't want to think about how indefinite their tenure would be here, but that realization was enough to stymie his good mood.

"You said the water was warm?"

Gwendal looked up to receive the offered meat. "Water?"

"The water from the top of the falls? You said it was warm?"

Gwendal nodded. "Yes, it was. I thought it was odd, but then perhaps the water receives direct sunlight…"

"Or there are hot springs."

Gwenal made a puzzled expression at his companion. "Well think about it. You said that the water seemed to be coming from the mountain before it ran off towards the falls. There is no way that water exposed to the sun for that short a distance would be completely warm…are you sure it wasn't just on the surface?"

"No, I am sure that it was warm the whole way."

Günter stretched suddenly. "Wouldn't it be nice? If there were hot springs? It would be a good place to bathe, not to mention…relax."

Gwendal couldn't help but smile at his friend's almost cat-like grin over the possibility. "Providing that it isn't hot enough to boil us. Although, I would prefer relaxing in the baths at the castle."

Günter snorted. "As if you even go to the baths. I have never seen you in there, Gwendal, except for prefunctionary reasons."

"I prefer to bathe by myself. After an entire day of the whole castle running in and out of my office, the last thing I want is company while I am bathing."

"Well then," Günter said with a smile, "what about relaxing?"

"It's the same thing-"

"It is not, and you know it," Günter tutted. "Honestly, no wonder you have those lines on your forehead. You don't even know how, let alone what it means to relax."

"I have my own ways, Günter. Just because I don't prefer to sit around naked with others in a warm bath doesn't mean I do not know how to take time for myself."

There was a slight pause before Gwendal added, "If there are indeed hotsprings here, I move that the time spent in them is for personal reflection."

Günter hmmed at this. "I agree. If it does turn out to be that you and I are the only ones on this island, we would need a bit of time apart before I drive you crazy and make you rue the day that you rescued me."

"That's not what I meant. I meant-"

But Günter was already there to (incorrectly) finish his sentence. "Oh…," he said suddenly with a blush of embarrassment spreading across his face. "You mean….well I guess that is prudent. I mean we are males of a certain age-"

"No!" Gwendal spit it out as fast as he was able. He could feel the heat rising in his own cheeks. "N-no. That's not what I meant. I meant it as I said it…just as a place to reflect. Relax."

"Oh," Günter said quietly and then filled the awkward silence. "That is very well then. We should have alone time. Right now it has been alright since you have been going off to explore, but once my foot is better healed, we'll be on top of each other all day…"

"Correct." And then he added, "I didn't mean it as a slight against your company. I am very glad we are in this together."

Günter smiled. "I am too."

That night there was no moon, and so it was decided that there was no point in trading off a night watch, as they wouldn't be able to see anything out on the waters.

Deeming that their fire was sufficient to keep any predators away, the pair laid down to sleep on their make-shift mattress.

And while they allowed their shared warmth and the sound of the ocean to lull them to sleep, Gwendal allowed himself to recall his and Günter's previous discussion on sleeping habits. It seemed that Günter's concern about Gwendal channeling Wolfram's tornado-like sleeping habits was unfounded.

Really, Günter had a lot of nerve to assume that of Gwendal, considering that Günter was turning out to be a good rival for his brother where bed-sharing was concerned.

After a few near misses of Günter's elbows to Gwendal's face, he managed to wrangle them both into a comfortable position that allowed him to keep control on Günter's flailing limbs, and soon he fell into a deep sleep.


	7. Chapter 5B

**We Pause to Begin : 5B**  
><strong>Chapter:<strong> Rating: PG  
><strong>Overall: <strong>Rating : R  
><strong>Paring:<strong> Gwendal x Gunter  
><strong>Genre <strong>Survival, fluff, angst, romance  
><strong>Summary <strong>After the King's ship is attacked and lost, Gwendal finds himself  
>ship-wrecked on an unknown island with Günter. As they help each other<br>survive on the island, Gwendal tries to find a way to handle his  
>suddenly known feelings towards his colleague and fellow castaway.<p>

Much apologies to the delay! Thank you so much for your continued support of this fic!  
>Also: Much love to my awesome beta <strong>puck_the_elf<strong>

* * *

><p>Now that they had a better plan in regards to their living conditions, the two demons decided that it was time to redistribute their priorities.<p>

Gunter's leg was healing remarkably well, Gwendal noted that morning when he helped the other demon inspect the injury. The swelling had noticeably diminished despite the ugly bruise that it was leaving in its wake. The swelling around Gunter's eye and the scrape were also healing nicely, and so, much to Gunter's relief, Gwendal had decided to be a bit more lenient with how long Gunter was allowed to put his weight on his foot. The other demon still walked with a slight limp and discomfort on his features, but Gwendal knew Gunter now understood his own limits.

That morning the pair of them set out to the river to drink and wash-up, and along the way back to the beach Gunter showed Gwendal how he had made the twitch-up snares that landed their squirrel-dinner the previous evening and helped Gwendal gather more carrots for breakfast.

"We should reassess our inventory, Gwendal, and I do not think we should make the relocation until we have gone back to the cove," Gunter said as he looked over the supplies,"I have a niggling feeling that there are resources we can still use."

It's a two hour walk in both directions. Do you think you'll be able to make it?"

Gunter made a quiet "hmph" before he responded. "I made it half of the way at what seems like the worst of my injury, Gwendal. I think I should be more than fine."

And with that, Gwendal kicked out their fire. "Let's go. I'd like to be back before the day is too hot."

* * *

><p>Their return to the cove was a much easier trip this time around, now that they both were fed and hydrated appropriately, and Gunter could walk at a much faster pace. In what seemed like no time, Gwendal had them both on the floor of the cove, inspecting the debris that was remarkably, still there.<p>

"I thought for sure the cove would have flooded and swept it all away," Gwendal remarked as he headed north to their little cave for a drink of water.

We should name this place 'Fortune Cove'," Gunter remarked, and then when Gwendal gave him a questioned look, explained:

"Well, you have to admit, out of all the places here on this island, this place has been the site of most of our fortune. You rescued me. We found water and my sword. If you had struck out in the opposite direction from where you washed up, I shudder to think that it would be too late for many things."

The sentiment struck Gwendal. Gunter was right. Their survival here had started off with a great gamble of him choosing a direction to scout. He shuddered slightly at the thought of what may have happened had he initially chosen the opposite direction that day. Aside from finding Gunter, the cove had taught him a valuable lesson from their little cave- they now had a general idea of how the fresh water ran along on the island. That knowledge had helped him yesterday when he discovered their newly intended living location and a fourth water source above the falls.

"Fortune Cove" indeed.

"Of course, you know," Gunter chattered as they sipped water in the dark. "Perhaps we shouldn't start naming things. I mean it's good in terms of organizing ourselves, but really, once you start naming things it only means that we're getting attached to this place...and perhaps naming things will just jinx us, and we'd end up living here forever...not that I mind being here with you, Gwendal dear...but really I cannot wait to be back in Shin Makouku in my own bed."

Gwendal nodded at the thought and the dulled pain in his ribs where Gunter had punched him during the night. "Agreed."

After their drink they began to methodically go through the debris, dragging the materials as best at they were able into neat piles along the sands.

Amongst the wreckage of what was becoming more and more clear as parts of the ship's aftcastle and other floatsome, they found they had a good portion of sails, lengths of rope, a lot of wood, a chest of silver cutlery that had been tangled in a corner of netting, and finally amidst the wreckage Gunter had pulled a long thin tube-like casing that was still sealed.

"Oh my, Gwendal! Look at this!" Gunter's excited tone over the item was enough to draw Gwendal away from the cutlery.

The other demon was pulling at the fastenings. "Oh I hope it is alright, or at least in here..."

"What is that, Gunter? Is it a sheath of some sort?"

Gunter pushed the lid off. "You could say that, Gwendal, but not for metal. For paper...maps specifically..."

"What good will a map do us?" Gwendal remarked. "We have no idea where we are. How will we know if those maps will be of the area we need? What if they were just a basic stock or the captain's personal collection? How do we know if they are even accurate?"

Gunter made a small laugh as he pulled another sealed tube from with the outer casing. "Oh, it will be accurate, Gwendal."

"How do you know?"

Gunter waved the tube in his hand with flourish, brandishing it like a sword, and thrusting it into Gwendal's face. "You see the hallmark? Etched on the case?"

Gwendal could see what Gunter was indicating. A small hallmark depicting a family crest- an eagle, perched on a globe with a sword in its mouth. Gwendal stared at the hallmark in disbelief. "Lord Carthright? This is a 'Carthright map'?"

Gunter nodded. "Seems to be. We won't know until we unfurl its contents to see if the matching hallmark has been inked and bears his unique signature...but if it is a Carthright then maybe we can see if the map can at least show us our general whereabouts. He's the authority, you know."

"He's the one thing mother got right in her reign," Gwendal said trying to keep the annoyed tone that tended to follow any discussion of his mother's time on the throne. "His maps were so detailed that all of the previous royal cartographers and warrant holders paled in comparison. Appointing him and his men as the head cartography team arguably won us the war."

Gunter hmmed as he began to unroll the contents. "Yes, he discovered many vantage points on land and areas by sea that were previously unknown to us before...saved us many lives," and then with a sigh of relief, "Yes, this is a Carthright. Looks very fresh too."

"Fresh?"

"Ah, according to the date, this map is only a year old."

This struck Gwendal as odd. "I thought he was retired. After the war he stayed around the castle and entertained my mother's escapist needs."

"Ah yes, he taught your mother navigation and seafaring," Gunter added.

Gwendal rolled his eyes. "Amongst _other _things."

"You said it, not I," Gunter said as he passed Gwendal the rolled map. "Anyway, it seems that what we have is proof that the now hermit-like Lord Carthright came out of retirement for a commission of some sort, or he's taken on an apprentice and has yet to debut them at court. Regardless, this is a Carthright, and if I can determine that this map is of our area, or at least orients us to our last known point, it can help us greatly."

Gwendal looked over the map, his eyes glancing off of the detailed ink strokes, nautical and astronomy notes in the margarine. "This can at least help us position our distress signals if we know where the main ship routes are."

"My thoughts exactly, and if it came down to it, a means to navigate ourselves from this place should it come to us making an escape by sea."

Gwendal shuddered at the thought of being on a raft of some-form out on the unknown waters. Hopefully a rescue would come before they became that desperate.

"Well then," Gunter said as he rolled the map up and resealed it. "I think if we can fold up the largest piece of sail, we can put the larger coils of rope that we can not wrap around ourselves and the other items within the folds and drag it between us."

* * *

><p>When they had arrived back at their camp it was almost mid-afternoon, and Gwendal was tired seeing that he had to once again manipulate the rock wall and drag their findings along. Thankfully Gunter was happy to let him rest. "Not bad for a day's work. Don't you think, Gwen?"<p>

Gwendal was too exhausted to pester Gunter about walking around more in order to check their snares. He arranged himself against a broad tree in the shade and allowed himself to close his eyes.

"You should come with me and drink something. It's been awhile since our last water break."

Gwendal ignored his companion. "I'll be fine. You go and check the snares, and I'll keep watch for a bit."

"No," Gunter said. "You rest for a bit. You've been exerting yourself a lot today. Listen to your body and just relax. I'll take a few of the coconut shells with me and bring back what I can." The older demon reached for the sword and the bag. "Be back in a bit."

Gwendal let his eyes drift close to the rhythmic sound of Gunter's feet pattering off into the underbrush and of the waves that werebeyond the dunes of their camp.

But sleep did not come. No matter how tired he felt, his brain simply wouldn't shut off. It was too busy strategizing their move to the upper steppes, their meals for the next week (or weeks), their rescue if it ever came, how to construct a distress signal...where that deer went yesterday...the feel of his fussy bedpartner's body pressed against him last night.

Gwendal's eyes snapped open at that, and he absently touched his ribs that still ached from Gunter's late night assault.

Why in Shinou's good name was he thinking about Gunter's body?

Aside from the obvious. Gunter was, for fear of sounding cliche, beautiful. He knew it. Gunter, damn him, knew it and loved it. The whole kingdom knew it. But never before had Gwendal thought anything of it because Gunter's attractiveness was an accepted thing- like the sky being blue. It was something known to the point where it was accepted, and rarely did Gwendal ever dwell on that point.

Until now, it seemed.

His mind brought him back to that moment where he had found Gunter's vulnerable and injured form. How weak he had been. Gwendal felt a dither of protective pride flush within him at the thought of how he had saved them both before his brain skipped back to the previous morning's bath that had almost gone awry.

Gwendal felt his cheeks heat and then wished desperately to have a pair of his needles and yarn to banish the ill thoughts away. No matter how often his hands moved into their usual habit of "purl and frog", the motion did not calm him, nor did his brain want to leave the subject of Gunter.

Gwendal got to his feet looking for something to busy himself with. That usually worked. Gwendal was good at replacing annoying thoughts and issues with tasks:

His Majesty has run off and left Gunter broken hearted? Go and find a task to give to Yozak.

Anissina hasn't been seen for days, but her work shop is emitting a strange green fog? Go and begin to compile a rations bag with his favourite pair of needles and enough yarn for a week's stay in his favourite hiding place.

His Majesty has run off again and broken Wolfram's heart? Threaten the brat to send him to muck the barn with the other men.

His mother has brought home another boyfriend who conveniently has daughters the same age as himself and Conrart? Arrange for transportation to the Shin Makoku border for a "sudden" diplomatic mission immediately. Inviting Conrart on this mission is not an option; someone has to stay behind and protect His Majesty...and the boyfriend's daughter from Yozak's jealousy.

Yes, he was very good at escaping things with tasks.

But what if they ran out of things to do on the island? What if the days became like this? Where their main tasks were done for the day, aside from foraging and gathering food? And being together day in and day out?

Gwendal swallowed as he worked on setting up the fire. They would have to find a means to occupy themselves before this sort of anxiety got the better of them. They were both creatures who needed to keep busy to keep themselves from going crazy. Gwendal could not imagine his life without some sort of task list.

He actually shuddered at the thought.

They needed to come up with a better order of their day other than explore and gather, because if they were stuck on this island for weeks to come, this island, while seemingly big, would soon run out of areas to occupy them.

Gwendal struck the stone that he was using for flint a lot harder than he intended and missed, grazing his other hand instead. The burn of pain was enough for him to drop the stones and swear, sticking his hand in his mouth like a child.

They needed to get off this forsaken island before one of them got hurt.

* * *

><p>Sorry for the short chapter! More soon, and thank you for all the reviews -they are the reason I keep writing! See you next time!<p> 


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